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Haaland: The incredible story behind the world’s greatest striker
The man who can't stop scoring goals for fun
In his debut season with Manchester City, Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has set the footballing world ablaze. The 23-year-old striker, known for his unique blend of speed and strength, has redefined the art of goal-scoring.
Highly regarded football journalist Lars Sivertsen follows Haaland’s meteoric rise to stardom in this biography, a tale that begins in the small Norwegian town of Bryne where they both grew up. Born to former Manchester City player Alfie Haaland, Erling started his journey at hometown club Bryne FK in 2016 and later moved to Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before Manchester City announced his arrival in the Premier League.
In his first Premier League season with Manchester City, Haaland has shattered records and achieved his ultimate winning the treble in his first season with the club. This accomplishment solidifies his status as one of the most exceptional talents in football history, and demonstrates that a boy from Bryne can indeed conquer the world of football.
In Haaland, Sivertsen delves into Haaland's roots, providing insights from those close to him, and gets to the heart of what makes him tick.
In his debut season with Manchester City, Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has set the footballing world ablaze. The 23-year-old striker, known for his unique blend of speed and strength, has redefined the art of goal-scoring.
Highly regarded football journalist Lars Sivertsen follows Haaland’s meteoric rise to stardom in this biography, a tale that begins in the small Norwegian town of Bryne where they both grew up. Born to former Manchester City player Alfie Haaland, Erling started his journey at hometown club Bryne FK in 2016 and later moved to Molde FK, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before Manchester City announced his arrival in the Premier League.
In his first Premier League season with Manchester City, Haaland has shattered records and achieved his ultimate winning the treble in his first season with the club. This accomplishment solidifies his status as one of the most exceptional talents in football history, and demonstrates that a boy from Bryne can indeed conquer the world of football.
In Haaland, Sivertsen delves into Haaland's roots, providing insights from those close to him, and gets to the heart of what makes him tick.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 20, 2026
fangirl 101 - go all in 🙂↔️
July 31, 2026
After watching Erling Haaland throughout the World Cup, I wanted to know more about the person behind the goals.
Yes, he's one of the world's best strikers, but what impressed me just as much during the tournament was his sportsmanship, humility, and calm confidence. That made Haaland by Lars Sivertsen the perfect next read.
What I loved most was discovering the mindset behind his success. From a young age, Haaland was obsessed with improving every aspect of his game - not just his finishing, but his mental approach too. His use of meditation and his philosophy of staying present allow him to play with freedom rather than overthinking, something that's been evident throughout his career. It was fascinating to read how those close to him describe a player who appears carefree on the pitch, when in reality he's completely committed to perfecting his craft.
The book also goes beyond football. Learning about Bryne, Norwegian culture, his family, and the journey through Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund before reaching Manchester City gave me a much deeper appreciation of how he became the player he is today. Sivertsen's connection to the same region adds an authenticity that makes the story even more engaging.
I was sceptical about reading a biography of someone whose career is still unfolding, but this felt surprisingly complete. As football fans, it's easy to judge players on ninety minutes each week. Books like this remind us of the years of dedication, sacrifice and resilience behind what we see on the pitch, helping us better understand the person behind the performance.
A thoughtful, engaging biography that offers far more than a list of goals and trophies.
Yes, he's one of the world's best strikers, but what impressed me just as much during the tournament was his sportsmanship, humility, and calm confidence. That made Haaland by Lars Sivertsen the perfect next read.
What I loved most was discovering the mindset behind his success. From a young age, Haaland was obsessed with improving every aspect of his game - not just his finishing, but his mental approach too. His use of meditation and his philosophy of staying present allow him to play with freedom rather than overthinking, something that's been evident throughout his career. It was fascinating to read how those close to him describe a player who appears carefree on the pitch, when in reality he's completely committed to perfecting his craft.
The book also goes beyond football. Learning about Bryne, Norwegian culture, his family, and the journey through Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund before reaching Manchester City gave me a much deeper appreciation of how he became the player he is today. Sivertsen's connection to the same region adds an authenticity that makes the story even more engaging.
I was sceptical about reading a biography of someone whose career is still unfolding, but this felt surprisingly complete. As football fans, it's easy to judge players on ninety minutes each week. Books like this remind us of the years of dedication, sacrifice and resilience behind what we see on the pitch, helping us better understand the person behind the performance.
A thoughtful, engaging biography that offers far more than a list of goals and trophies.
September 21, 2024
I was expecting a lot less, given how you've Haaland still is, but was presently surprised. Reading about how a career was shaped from a young age and some insights into Norwegian culture made for a pleasant read from one of the more entertaining journalists on Football Weekly. I'd like to see more insights about many players that allow us to better understand the person and what shapes them, as fans of football, books like this can help create empathy when we are screaming at the TV for "poor" performances. Only critique was the last few chapters tailed off as it was more about Man City than Haaland, as a Chelsea fan, I don't need to read more about them.
September 15, 2024
Goed boek over de voetballer en de mens Haaland. Het boek is interessant tot en met zijn laatste seizoen bij Dortmund. Met name de achtergrondinformatie over zijn opvoeding en zijn opkomst als voetballer geeft je een goede inkijk over zijn persoonlijkheid. Daarna is het boek een samenvatting van zijn successen bij Manchester City.
September 15, 2024
Ich fands sehr gut geschrieben. Es war interessant und mit vielen Fakten drun herum erzählt. Man bekommt durch diverse Zitate einen guten Eindruck von Erlings Persönlichkeit und wie er als Mensch neben dem Platz so tickt. Manchmal war es mir zu sehr mit Details ausgeschmückt und daher haben sich die Kapitel manchmal ein bisschen gezogen.
December 2, 2025
I read a lot of football books, but rarely biographies. I always enjoy Lars on Football Weekly, so thought I'd give this a go. It was a great read and explores many of the social contexts that makes Erling Haaland the player (and I suppose person) he is. Very enjoyable read.
January 4, 2024
I may or may not have shed some tears. If you know me then you know Erling Haaland is my favourite footballer, so yeah, it was a wonderful read.
March 19, 2025
Disappointing, most of the book contains interviews and match reports from other sources
January 4, 2026
Loved it. Was real, factual, and gave a deeper look into the growing up and personality of the great Erling Haaland.
June 24, 2024
Not only is this a review for Haaland, but also for the first audio book I've listened to.
I'm a big fan of Guardian Football Weekly, listening since the WC 2018. I've really enjoyed Lars on there and he brings a great perspective. I've heard him talk about this book recently, and decided that I'd give Audio Books a shot. It took me a little bit to get through, but I really enjoyed the experience. This level of book was great for listening, and I especially enjoyed that it was read by Lars himself. The chapter lengths were really perfect for dipping in and out too.
As for the book itself, it was really good, I learnt a lot about the region in Norway Erling Haaland is from, what the people are like and his family from before he was born. I learnt about the incredible journey he took to winning the treble with Manchester City, and many different facets of his life and how he became the unbelievable striker he is today. I often find it interesting when people (or even the footballers themself) write books about footballers still currently playing, but this felt complete.
I'm a big fan of Guardian Football Weekly, listening since the WC 2018. I've really enjoyed Lars on there and he brings a great perspective. I've heard him talk about this book recently, and decided that I'd give Audio Books a shot. It took me a little bit to get through, but I really enjoyed the experience. This level of book was great for listening, and I especially enjoyed that it was read by Lars himself. The chapter lengths were really perfect for dipping in and out too.
As for the book itself, it was really good, I learnt a lot about the region in Norway Erling Haaland is from, what the people are like and his family from before he was born. I learnt about the incredible journey he took to winning the treble with Manchester City, and many different facets of his life and how he became the unbelievable striker he is today. I often find it interesting when people (or even the footballers themself) write books about footballers still currently playing, but this felt complete.
March 1, 2024
Amazing love it
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews